The Tarot’s story is your story. Savor it. When you are finished reading it — you will be someone else.

By: Lon Milo Duquette

A very popular meditative technique is to divide and combine the 22 Trumps.

This article will look at 8 meditations with the Major Arcana. The general idea is to use the following information as a spring board for further experimentation. The meditations are about discovering, or rediscovering, patterns — relationships between the cards that have significance. The pattern might hint at some aspect of life that has not been considered, or, it may point to an aspect of consciousness that illuminates something specific for you.

Each of these meditations involves some level of preparation; all involve dividing the 22 cards into groups. The meditation itself is about finding ways to combine them again. This is done through the discovery of patterns. These patterns help to deepen our connection to Tarot.

Some of the following 8 meditations are well known, others not so. Before we begin, let’s look at two very general ways of interpreting, and meditating on the Major Arcana.

Check out Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, to read more about these two general methods.

1. First general method

One way of interpreting the Major Arcana is to consider each card as representing something meaningful to the individual. For instance, the Emperor represents mastery of self, the Fool represents uncorrupted innocence, the Temperance card represents the alchemical process of turning the base metal (personality) into gold etc.

The really interesting thing about this approach is that it doesn’t really depend upon the sequence of the Trumps. For instance, the number 1 belongs to the Magician, not because the sequence of the Trumps is significant, but because the number 1 represents certain ideas that belong to the Magician — the Will, First Cause, Being, Unity (Jung classified a whole series of what he called ‘unifying’ symbols.)

2. Second general method

This approach is almost the opposite of the first. In this approach, the sequence of the Trumps is important. The High Priestess is numbered two because that is where she belongs. She can only exist in between the Magician and the Empress. In this method of classifying the Major Arcana, the sequence of the Trumps is critical. Each card belongs to one specific point within the whole 22 card sequence.

Overall, these two general approaches to meditating on the Major Arcana are not to be thought of as distinct and separate. Rather, it’s when we combine both these approaches into one meditation that things start to get interesting. The following examples build upon this idea.

3. Use the Wheel of Fortune

A very popular method involves splitting the Major Arcana into two groups. Every card from the Fool to the Hermit belongs to one group and every card from Lust (or Justice) to the Universe belongs to another. These two groups are divided by one card; the Wheel of Fortune.

Part of the reason for this method’s popularity is its simplicity. It divides the 22 Trump cards into two groups and it uses the Wheel of Fortune (a very potent and symbolic choice) as the divider. Ask yourself, what does the Wheel of Fortune divide, in life, and within consciousness?

In many ways its simplicity is deceptive. I’ve found my relationship with the 22 Trumps deepen as a direct result of this meditation.

Excercise

1. Deal the cards out into two lines. Make sure you start the second line after the Wheel of Fortune.
2. Look for patterns.
3. Ask yourself what these patterns mean.
4. Pair the cards together. Pick a card from the top column and pair that with the card directly beneath it on the bottom column. What does this pairing communicate to you?
5. Meditate on the concept of two groups. What does group one have in common? What does group two have in common? What does the number two suggest?

4. Three groups of seven

Another slightly more complex approach is to split the 22 Major Arcana into three groups.

1. Take the Fool card and place it to one side.
2. We now have 21 Cards that can be divided into three groups of seven.
3. The first column is the Magician to the Chariot.
4. The second column is the Justice card to Temperance.
5. The third column is the Devil to the Universe card.

Like all these meditations, the idea is to look for patterns within the division of the Trumps. Meditation on these patterns can reveal things about Nature, the Universe and Consciousness.

For instance, by placing the Fool to one side, what significance does it have? Does it say something about the role of the Fool — that it can go anywhere and doing anything? That it can exist anywhere within the sequence of the Trumps … and nowhere? Or does it say something about our attitudes to the Fool — we are, after all, banishing him to the corner! Are Fools things that we reject, cast aside and avoid? If so, what does that say about us?

In my humble opinion, simply meditating on how this meditation excludes the Fool can profoundly shape how we see the relationships between the Trumps.

Excercise

1. Do the three columns represent something specific about the Major Arcana? Does every card in the second column (or every card in the first or third column for that matter) share something in common? If so, what might that be?
2. Again, look for patterns between the columns? Does the Chariot, Temperance and Universe cards have something in common?
3. Find different patterns and ask yourself what these patterns mean.
4. Use Elemental Dignities to determine the relationships between the cards. Pick a card from the top column and combine that with the cards directly beneath it to produce a three card reading. What does this reading communicate to you?
5. Meditate on the concept of three groups. What does group one have in common? What does group two have in common? What does group three have in common? Meditate on the number three.

5. Card count the sequence

Deal the 22 cards out in a single line. If you know how to card count you can begin to notice patterns between the Trumps which are often illuminating.

I used to do this a lot when I was first learning the Tarot, and still find it a really useful meditation. Start by selecting a Trump card to count from. Once you have made your choice count from it and see where it takes you. Do this for all the 22 Trump cards and see what kinds of relationships you can observe. Are there cards that are continuously being counted on? Is there a card that is never counted upon? If there is such a card, what hidden potential could that reveal?

Example

As an example, I’ve picked the Fool.

Here is the order of the Count, with a brief description of the meditation I did:

1. The Fool: The root of consciousness.
2. The Priestess: The formation of consciousness
3. Fortune: Human being born
4. Moon: First experience of life. Initial observations. Time exists — with day/night, light/dark.
5. Chariot: Human engaging with life. The development of identity.
6. Moon: Attempts to control life fails. The irrational always looms. The hidden causes fear.

Don’t feel you need to restrict your counting to any one card, you can pick any card you like. Why not begin with your birthday card, the Trump represented by your astrological sun sign?

6. Meditate on the elements

For this mediation, start by counting how many Fire cards there are. How many Water cards, how many Air cards and how many Earth cards there are. What patterns does this suggest? Does this tell us anything about Consciousness, Nature or the Universe?

The key to this meditation is observation. Take some time to get a sense of what the Elemental distribution indicates. Notice how the Elements divide the Major Arcana and spend some time looking at patterns that combine them. This is a very passive meditation that, over time, changes the way you think about the Trumps.

7. Kabbalah

The Hebrew alphabet is central to the Kabbalah, and for people who use Occult decks, the Tarot.

The idea is this: the 22 letters were involved in the creation of the Universe. There are 22 letters and 22 Trumps and at some point in history, the connection between the two was made. Most occult decks now display a Hebrew letter for each of the 22 Trumps.

This meditation involves exploring how the Hebrew Alphabet divides the 22 Major Arcana into groups.

Essentially, you have the 3 Mother letters, the 7 Single letters and the 12 Double letters. Applied to the Tarot, these are the three elemental (Fool, Hanged Man and Aeon) cards, seven planetary and twelve zodiacal cards.

Although there are different ways to attribute the Hebrew letters to the Trump cards, I’ve learned via the Thoth Tarot and have stuck with that ever since.

The standard sequence of most modern day Tarot cards conforms to the Tarot de Marseilles sequence. The Thoth Tarot also follows the Golden Dawn’s scheme of attributing certain Hebrew letters and their corresponding elemental, planetary and zodiacal attributions — with one exception. Crowley restructured the sequence of the Thoth deck for reasons I don’t fully understand. I’m not sure many people do. However, if you consider the sequence of the Trumps as important, then figuring out the reasons why he did it could be a valuable meditation.

Excercise

This meditation grows in effectiveness the more time is spent considering the role of the Hebrew Alphabet within the 22 cards. Meditate on each of the Hebrew letters and their attribution to the Major arcana. What relationships do they have? How does this deepen our understanding?

8. Gender

I learned this meditation from Lon Milo Duquette’s, Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. In his book, Lon Milo Duquette attempts to explain a passage from the Book of Thoth … the end result is this meditation.

There are eight Trumps — the Fool, the Magus, the High Priestess, the Empress, the Emperor, the Hierophant, the Hermit and the Star. According to Crowley, these Trumps are to be seen as representing something “to be observed.” Lon Milo Duquette calls them, First Class Trumps.

These first class Trumps are divided, by Gender, into three categories.

1. The Fool and the Magus are hermaphrodite.
2. The High Priestess, the Empress and the Star show the Feminine Symbol (Yin) in three forms corresponding to a Triune Goddess.
3. The Emperor, the Hierophant, and the Hermit show the Masculine symbol in three forms — the Fathers. They are the compliment to the High Priestess, the Empress and the Star.

Lon Milo Duquette describes the remaining fourteen Trumps as second class Trumps.

The second class Trumps, according to Lon, represents one or more of the first class Trumps. Lon describes how this can occur in three ways.

1. As an expression of the character and behavior of the first class Trump when it is combined with one or more of its seven fellows.
2. As an expression of how the first class Trump functions.
3. As an expression of how the first class Trump manifests.

Essentially, the idea behind this meditation is to figure out what second class Trumps are an outward expression of the first class Trumps.

Below is the mysterious passage from the Book of Thoth that forms the foundations to this meditation:

It is especially to be observed that the three consecutive letters, Gimel, Daleth, He (Atu 11, 111, XV11) show the Feminine Symbol (Yin) in three forms corresponding to the Triune Goddess. This Trinity is immediately followed by the three corresponding and complementary Fathers, Vau, Tzaddi, Yod (Atu 1V, V, 1X). The Trumps 0 and 1 are hermaphrodite. The remaining fourteen Trumps represent these Primordial Quintessences of Being in conjunction, function, or manifestation.

Example

The way I approach this meditation is to begin by removing the first-class Trumps. Place the hermaphrodites on one line, the Triune Goddesses on another and the Fathers on the third. Take the remaining 14 second class Trumps and shuffle them. Whenever you feel ready, deal out a second class Trump and meditate on which of the first class Trumps would manifest it.

As an example, I dealt out the Hanged Man. On meditating on this card, I felt the High Priestess and the Hermit would be expressed through the character of the Hanged Man. I also felt that the Hanged Man showed how the High Priestess functions and how the Hermit manifests.

Another example would be the Moon card. On meditating upon this second class Trump, I felt the Hierophant and the Fool would be expressed through the character of the Moon. I also felt that the Moon showed how the Fool functions and how the Hierophant manifests.

Summary

…the trumps are a universal alphabet of images and, no matter how we throw them together, they are bound to spell something.

By: Lon Milo Duquette

The 8 meditations that I’ve listed above are only a tiny fraction of the number of ways that someone could divide and combine the Major Arcana. What about dividing them according to astrology, alchemy or even colour? The possibilities are endless. I’d love to hear what you all think about these meditations. Is there anyone who finds meditation of this sort a waste of time? Or, if anyone meditates on the 22 Major Arcana using a different method, and wants to share it, I’d love to hear about it.

Image by and credit to: Deepak Gupta

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• Tarot Card Confusion
• Conjurer or Adept? The Humble Origins of the Tarot Magician
• Why Reading Tarot Cards Like A Book Doesn’t Work
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Each card is, in a sense, a living being; and its relations with its neighbors are what one might call diplomatic. It is for the student to build these living stones into his living Temple.

— The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley p48

Have you already discovered how difficult it is to access your intuition? It’s a constant conflict for most Tarot readers. Some days we read well, other times it can feel like a foreign language. This article provides a solution to this common problem. Rather than trying to accept or cultivate our intuition, I propose we use the full extent of Rationality to understand the cards? Sounds counter productive right?

Oftentimes Rationality is the killer of intuition. But, if we apply a little bit of double-think, a little bit of Winnie the Pooh logic, it could be possible to become so rational as to short-circuit our brains and allow intuition to flow. Well, that’s the idea; let’s look at the tools I’ll be using and how I propose to achieve this effect.

I’ll be using the Golden Dawn attributions for the cards, of which I have provided a Table of Content further into this article.

I’ll also be working with the Thoth Tarot throughout. The Thoth Tarot is an Occult deck that uses symbolism from the Qabbalah, Tree-Of-Life, Planets, Zodiacal signs and the Elements. I understand if that makes some people feel excluded, but do continue to read on. It may be possible to adapt what I’m saying, in part, if not completley, to the Tarot deck of your choice.

It may be a good idea for people who want to know a bit more of the theory; who are not familiar with the Occult Tarot, Qabbalah or Golden Dawn to check out some additional resources. A quick search of Google will bring up a ton of information on the Tree-of-Life, astrological associations of the Small cards of the Golden Dawn or Thoth Tarot.

What I propose

This exercise uses the Minor Arcana. It’s my experience that the Small cards are, in some senses, the easiest to be specific with. This could be, in part, due to their overall function within Tarot; that of classifying the Universe, and functioning as the framework for the Universe.

For this reason, I think a good starting place for this type of exercise is the Small cards. It keeps things simple, with the added possibility of using the same methods on the Court cards and the Major Arcana (each would demand its on logic of course).

The objective is to use Rationality to understand the Minor Arcana at a core level. I want to reduce (think reductionism) the Small cards down to a few key ideas; then to take those ideas, and no other, as the starting point for every Tarot reading I do; it’s providing a clean slate for the intuition to work through. Perhaps, in some senses, that’s secondary to the deepening understanding this exercise will provide.

What will this achieve?

Essentially, the more rational thought we apply to the Minor Arcana, the more we will objectify them, the more we will overload our brains, the stronger our intuition will become, the more specific our Divinations, and the more specific our understanding of the Minor Arcana will become.

Let’s get started.

How to Understand the Minor Arcana?

I need to point out, as far as the distinction between the Golden Dawn and the Thoth Tarot goes, that many of the features from the Golden Dawn’s system survive into the new Aeon. To keep things simple, I’ll not be covering this in any more detail, except to say that I acknowledge and accept the distinction.

I’m going to be looking at the 36 Small cards from the perspective of the Thoth Tarot which makes it easy to become exceptionally rational, exceptionally quickly. No joke!

That’s the beauty behind the Golden Dawn system. It uses something that is so rational, that works via the use of logic; in fact it needs logic applied to it before it will work; that is so intricate and involved, that is so demanding of the rational mind that eventually — the rational mind is broken and intuition flows.

Why is this? Because its most fundamental Principles are irrational. It’s irrationality dressed up as rational. It’s perfect for people who find it difficult to trust their intuition. If you consider some (there are many more things that could be added here) of the things that go into this framework — you have the Qabbalah, the Hebrew Letters, the Tree-of-Life, Astrological associations on the Tree, the 4 Worlds of the Tree (which will alter, very subtly, the astrological meanings), the Shemhamphorasch, and then, finally, the Tarot. That’s a lot of thinking! That’s a lot of things to occupy the Rational mind. But then again, that’s the point. The point is to rationally understand the irrational; keep bombarding it with information, keep filling it with attributions, until finally, it breaks. It results in a kind of Holy Madness.

Why does it break? Because it’s irrational; the system is designed to effectively trick the Rational mind into figuring out what cannot be figured out. The rational cannot understand the irrational. It’s beautifully simple and wonderfully ingenious.

Before we begin, have a look at the Table below. It describes the esoteric name of each of the Small cards. The names are from the Golden Dawn, and it will be important for anyone who isn’t familiar with Occult Tarot to have a sense of what each of the names (or personalities) of these cards are. In a moment, we will discover how these names are arrived at — through the use of a formula!

Lon Milo Duquette provides a formula of sorts for understanding the Small cards. He says that we need to take the number and suit of the card, plus the Planet and Zodiacal sign, which will be equal to the Tarot card’s personality.

The answer is a simple formula containing two Qabalistic and two astrological factors. The formula is: (n of suit) + (p in zs) = sc … (Number of Suit) + (Planet in Zodiac Sign) = Small Card.
I want to encourage you to use the formula of (n of suit) + (p in zs) = sc to work out your own new and more innovative meanings for the small cards yourself.

— Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo DuQuette p206-212

Okay, let’s break that down with two examples. Aleister Crowley brilliantly applies this to the 5 of Wands. Here’s his explanation:

What is the meaning of the 5 of Wands? This card is subject to the Lord of Fire, because it is a Wand, and to the Sephira Geburah because it is a Five. It is also subject to the sign Leo, and to the planet Saturn, because this planet and sign determine the nature of the card. This is no more than saying that a Dry Martini has got some juniper in it, and some alcohol, and some white wine and herbs, and a bit of lemon peel, and some ice. It is a harmonious composition from which it would be very difficult to separate the ingredients; yet each element is necessary to the composition.
The Five of Wands is therefore a personality; the nature of this is summed up in the Tarot by calling it “Strife”.

— The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley p43

The second example uses the 5 of Swords. Using the formula, it breaks down like this:

5 of Swords + Venus in Aquarius = Defeat.

To get the most out of this exercise, it’s helpful to know some basic Qabbalah. When Lon Milo DuQuette mentions the Number of Suit, he is referring to its numbering that hangs on the Tree-of-Life. With that in mind, its Formula could be rewritten like this: 5 (Geburah) of Swords (Yetzirah) + Venus in Aquarius = Defeat.

But Venus in Aquarius is a friendly combination! Why Defeat?

Although Venus rules Aquarius, making things appear very good, it’s their friendliness, their pacifism which contributes to Defeat. Remember, the number 5 is Geburah on the Tree-of-Life and Geburah is a rough place to be — especially for this friendly pair. Geburah is usually always a disruption to the stability of the 4. In the words of Crowley, “Venus here rules Aquarius, weakness rather than excess of strength seems the cause of disaster. The intellect has been enfeebled by sentiment. The defeat is due to pacifism. Treachery may also be implied.”

The point is, the astrological attribution of Venus ruling Aquarius appeared rather good. However, remember the formula. The very first thing that is required is that we start with the Number; we start with the Tree-of-Life. In this case, Geburah in Yetzirah. It’s the placement of Venus and Aquarius on this number which accounts for Defeat. In other words, the astrological associations must be modified accordingly.

Another example

This example comes again from Crowley, on the 6 of Wands. Here, the focus shifts from understanding how the personalities of the Small cards are worked out to, what one can do with this information.

The 6 of Wands is referred to Jupiter in Leo, and is called the Lord of Victory. This indicates not only what victory is like, but also the conditions to be fulfilled in order to gain Victory. There is need for the fiery energy of the suit of Wands, the balance of the number 6, the stubborn courage of Leo, and also the influence of Jupiter, the little bit of luck that tips the scales.

— The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley p37

There are two important points to consider. Each Small card indicates not only what something is like, such as Victory or Defeat, but also the conditions to be fulfilled in order to gain Victory or Defeat.

This is a great mediation in itself; but its real power comes from giving our Rational minds something to do. By systematically working our way through each of the Small cards, working out why they have certain personalities (according to that system at least), what such and such personality is like, what conditions are required to fulfill it — we have a powerful way of practicing the Tarot. One that might just be better suited to everyone who struggles with intuition.

Finally, there is one more step we can take to occupy our Rational minds. Again, this idea comes from the Book of Thoth. Let’s go back to Crowley’s example of the 5 of Wands. He continues by saying, “This means that, if used passively in divination, one says, when it turns up, ‘There is going to be a fight’. If used actively, it means that the proper course of conduct is to contend.”

Putting it all together

Here is how to apply all we have discussed into one practice session:

1. The Formula: Start by picking out some of the Small cards you want to get to know better. For each card that you pick, apply the formula to it. Start backwards. First, look at the name of the card. The 10 of Cups is called, Lord of Perfected Success. Why was it given this name? Contemplate that before looking at the rest of the Formula, which in this case would be; 10 (Malkuth) of Cups (Briah) + Mars in Pisces = Lord of Perfected Success (or Satiety if we solely use the Thoth).
2. Ask questions: For instance, what contribution does Mars in Pisces make to the formation of the 10 of Cup’s personality? By working through your own list of questions, you’ll provide your conscious mind with plenty of material to work through. If you keep going with this, constantly questioning and answering, you’ll eventually snap your mind into allowing Intuition to flow.
3. Use the other meditations: Start introducing these meditations whenever you feel ready to begin. Start by looking at the personality of the Small card in question. For instance, the 8 of Swords — Lord of Shortened Force (or Interference in the Thoth). Ask yourself, what is Interference. Examine the personality of the card to fully understand this phenomena. Go one step further, ask yourself what conditions need to be met before Interference exists? By looking at what the Small card is, and the conditions required for that personality to function, you’re providing yourself with a deepening understanding of the Major Arcana, but also giving the Rational mind plenty to do.
4. Remember to explore the Active and Passive components of the card: When viewing the 9 of Swords passively, what does it mean? Usually, in my case anyway, it points towards sleepless nights and worry. But what about when its used Actively? What would doing the 9 of Swords mean? Does it imply that the best course of action is to act cruelly? Then, as a fall back for your Rational mind, look over the Formula, ask yourself what conditions need to be met in order for there to be Cruelty in the first place etc.
5. Repeat, repeat, repeat!: Keep repeating these steps over and over again. Repeat them for all 36 Small cards, and once you’ve completed it, do it again. Keep going, even years from now, keep going. Keep going until your rational mind stops and Intuition naturally flows. Use these steps to access your intuition via rationality. If rationality is a block to your own creativity with Tarot, become overly rational about it. Study it until your mind snaps, intuition flows and your work is done.

Summary

The Occult Tarot provides an excellent vehicle for people who find it difficult to access their intuition; to give powerful and accurate Tarot readings. The cause of most people’s blocks to intuition is Rationality; and it’s this very block that Occult Tarot begins with. It starts with that and ends with an acceptance of the irrational and deep trust of intuition. It takes a lot of information to bombard our rational minds, but luckily the Occult Tarot is a big subject. If you find it difficult or frustrating to read Tarot, perhaps the Occult Tarot is right for you.

What do you think about using the rational to access intuition? What do you think of the process I’ve outlined? Have you already got some experience with these kinds of techniques and if so, what did you think of them? I’d love to read your opinion on this

Image by jmsuarez

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• The Tarot Location Challenge

My background in Tarot is heavily influenced by the Golden Dawn, specifically, the attributions they use.

About a week ago, I was speaking to a friend of mine, and we started talking about how certain cards within the Golden Dawn system are associated with areas of the globe. I’m going to quote Lon Milo DuQuette, who explains this association better than I can:

Together with the four Princesses, the Aces rule quadrants of the heavens around the North Pole of the Earth. The meridian line intersects Giza and the elements rule in IHVH order going Eastward as follows: Wands covering Asia, Cups the area of the Pacific, Swords the Americas, and Disks Europe and Africa.

I should point out that the Princesses can be thought of as Pages depending on which deck you use.

Anyway, we started talking about whether or not other Tarot cards could be associated with locations around the globe, and if so, what would they be?

This is what we decided to do

We both grabbed the Thoth Tarot. We dealt the cards out one at a time and said the first location that flashed into our minds.

It was great fun … even although a lot of our free associating involved things other than locations.

What are the benefits?

I noticed the benefits as soon as I started working. I felt more connected with the Tarot, I gave more insightful readings, and I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s a bit early to say whether or not there are any objective long term benefits, however, it can’t hurt, and I’m fairly convinced that using the Tarot in this way ( along with other practices of a similar nature ) gradually improves or sharpens reader style and builds upon any foundations the Tarot reader may already have in place.

What Locations are we talking about?

The aim that my friend and I had was to be as specific as possible. We wanted to focus on geographical locations initially, but after a while, we started to incorporate familiar shops, iconic settings and so on. If we said something vague (like a shopping center), we tried to describe what the outside of the building would be! Basically, we wanted to be as specific as possible.

Some Examples

I thought I’d include some examples to give you all an idea of what I’m talking about. I’ve split them up into sections – Majors, Minors and Court cards. Enjoy!

The Challenge!

I challenge everyone to grab their favorite Tarot deck and get to work.

1. Start by dealing out one card at a time.
2. Say the first location that flashes into your mind – Greenland, Tibet, Coffee shop, Kitchen etc.
3. Keep going until you’ve done it for all 78 cards.
4. Relax, and allow the connections you’ve made to filter into your repertoire of associations.
5. Repeat the process again when you feel energized.
6. Record the information in a Tarot Journal.

This is basically an adaption of the free association exercise, which is something you could incorporate into your practice sessions. If you’re looking for something a bit more challenging, you could always try the Tarot location challenge with more than one card.

I’d love to hear how everyone gets on with this, especially any cool and creative interpretation

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In a post called, A Lesser Known Tarot Secret: Why Using This Can Fast Track Your Intuitive Readings, Today! I invited people to share some of their crazy Tarot card interpretations and I was blown away by all the responses.

This post will list all those crazy, cool, insightful and awesome Tarot card meanings that people have shared.

I’ve taken all those great descriptions and compiled them into a single post so people can read them at a glance.

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I did – and hope this post inspires a few of you to go on “saying” what you see.

The Interpretations

I will group all of the descriptions under sub headings so you can find what you’re looking for at a glance.

The Ratio of the Suits and Card Pairings

Barbara Moore recalls how she interpreted the “four Sword cards to indicate four Surgeries.”

Emperor paired with the Queen of Swords: You can imagine her giving him a real good talking to and telling him what she really thinks of him.
Lori

Death reversed paired with the Tower: There’s nothing to be afraid of. In the recent past the client’s finances were fine – but now, the client will spend more money on renovating the home.
Phine

The Trump Cards

Strength: Going to the dentist
Diane

Tower: Extreme Sports.
Christiane

Tower: Falling, an accident in the house (a client told me her mother-in-law fell and broke her leg when she fell in her house).
Theresa

Death: Seeing a picture of a skull (like at a party).
Tower: Menstruation
AJ

The Suit of Wands

5 of Wands: A panel interview
AJ

9 of Wands: Cut back on smoking and drink water now!
Leila Jo

The Suit of Cups

Five of Cups reversed: A hangover
Eight of Cups: Going to prison (a client actually got busted in a drugs raid a few months later and did indeed go to prison).
Theresa

5 of Cups: A friend moved away recently (A reading for a 12/13 years old)
Hilary

Hilary also referred to some of my earlier articles – these are called Ten Excellent Tips To Help Recover A Tarot Reading and A Guide To Tarot Card Combinations. In these posts I discuss the benefits of “talking” to help clear the surface mind. This technique has the potential to open us up to the possibility of intuitive understanding.

The Suit of Swords

4 of Swords: Time to leave the club and get your beauty sleep!
Leila Jo

5 of Swords: The hostile takeover of a company.
Theresa

The Suit of Disks

The Ace of Disks: A Pizza!
Phine

Three of Disks: The baptism of a child.
Four of Disks: Going to Las Vegas
Theresa

Druid Craft Tarot

I did a reading for a friend a while back using the Druid Craft Tarot, a basic PPF reading, one of the cards was the Fferyllt XIV. Part of the image on the card is Glastonbury Tor and Chalice Hill, at the base is a lake, which immediately struck me as being shaped like a tea pot, with steam coming from the spout. I put this to my friend, that she knew somebody who insisted on having her tea in a pot served in proper china tea cups with saucers, I absolutely thought my friend was going to tell me I was bonkers, however, she proceeded to tell me that an ex care client of hers that she had been really close to and counted a good friend, had recently died and she insisted on having her tea in china cups from a tea pot!

Laura

I hope this post has inspired, at least a few people, to get their Tarot cards out and start “saying what they see”. I want to thank everyone for leaving such great comments – it was a real inspiration to read all the unique and exciting ways different people “see” the cards.

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• Tarot Lexicon

The Fool card in a Tarot deck is one of the most mysterious, and perhaps disturbing, of all the Tarot cards. Its many meanings, although superficially obvious, eludes concrete definition. It can mean many different things both within a Tarot reading and without; just when you think you have its meaning nailed, events conspire to show you how foolish that conclusion is.

Below are four different and sometimes contradictory meanings to help you understand the Fool, not just in a Tarot reading, but to understand the Fool within us. The differences between the four should not result in anyone attempting to reconcile those differences into a logical, rational whole. Rather, all four form an irrational feeling for what the Fool can represent.

1. A simpleton or Bodhisattva?

Historically, the Fool card was unnumbered, although there were exceptions and one of them was to number the Fool as either zero or twenty-two. By not assigning a number to the Fool, we are effectively placing it outside the pack of Tarot cards. We are saying that he lives outside the world, outside society and outside of the rules governing all phenomena. I find this strangely disturbing.

As observers of the Fool, safe behind all our experiences, all those experiences that have destroyed our innocence, holding us in like a walled city; we gaze out upon the Fool and we conclude, this is a madman, a simpleton; look how he acts – like such a Fool.

However there may be some who disagree, who mutter under their breath for they are afraid, experienced as they are, of who might hear; this is someone with great Spiritual awareness; a Bodhisattva come out of great compassion for he has renounced nirvana to save all sentient beings. It would be a mistake to see this as foolish; he is no Fool, but a great man!

The nature of the Bodhisattva is apparent from a teaching story in which three people are walking through a desert. Parched and thirsty, they spy a high wall ahead. They approach and circumnavigate it, but it has no entrance or doorway. One climbs upon the shoulders of the others, looks inside, yells “Eureka” and jumps over. The second then climbs up and repeats the actions of the first. The third laboriously climbs the wall without assistance and sees a lush garden inside the wall. It has cooling water, trees, fruit, etc. But instead of jumping into the garden, the third person goes back out into the desert and seeks desert wanderers to tell them about the garden and how to find it. The third person is the Bodhisattva.

Is this foolish or compassionate?

It is difficult not to judge the Fool within all of us. In fact, we judge him all the time. He is that embarrassing aspect of us that we need to work hard to silence. However, in one aspect of the Fool, it’s the silence of the Fool which is part of his innocence.

The most powerful of all the Trumps

The Fool is unnumbered, and without a number the Fool is free to travel wherever he wills, not constrained by traditional boundaries and being beyond the rules of Law, his wanderlust can end up destabilising the Establishment. In almost all ways the Fool serves no real purpose in a Tarot deck, or a pack of playing cards for that matter. Does the Fool upset our ordered and balanced Tarot readings? Why have we kept him around? It’s foolish don’t you think?

The Fool is easy to overlook

It’s easy to overlook the Fool, much like the court Jester in the Royal house. Although the Court Jester served no obvious purpose, it was this lack of purpose which gave the Jester so much power within the politics of the time. Able to mingle between different groups of people, he served as an excellent spy and in some sense, held power equal to the King or Queen; certainly this person was not someone to underestimate. There is an Old Italian saying still in use today, “To be like the Fool in Tarocchi” (Tarot), which means to be welcome anywhere. Although this seems like a positive saying, the role that politics has played in manipulating innocence, both the idea, in the sense of manipulating somebody with experience to look like he is innocent as a ploy in subterfuge, and in the sense of manipulating people; the saying takes on a slightly sinister quality.

2. The Fool as zero

This is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Fool card. Aleister Crowley, in The Book of Thoth writes, “The really important feature of this card is that its number should be 0.” I should point out that it doesn’t really matter all that much if the Fool is numbered zero or twenty-two. In the symbolism of number, twenty-one forms a complete cycle, so twenty-two can indicate a return to zero.

Zero indicates a divinity of absence; this is in contrast to the ‘divinity of presence’ which we are used to dealing with and thinking about (religion or defined routes of spirituality would be examples). The Fool indicates a place that lies beyond the command of language; a place where all contradictions are united; a place of ‘emptiness’; a place where knowledge becomes ignorance or when the events of history are forgotten but the remains of those events are present all around us. Ultimately, the Fool represents that irrational idea that something can come from no-thing and in this sense, the whole of the Universe issued forth from the Fool.

The Symbol of Zero

Zero is a numerical sign which derives its meaning from the Arabic word sifra (cipher). It has no value of its own and replaces the values missing in other numbers. In this sense it represents objects which have no properties of their own, but rather it confers properties upon other objects. An example of this would be adding a zero onto a number to increase its value. Zero therefore, depending on whether the sign which precedes it, in the sense of the sign being either subtraction, addition, division or multiplication alters the value of the object in question.

Zero, in connection with the Fool card, represents the initiatory aspect of the card; being unnumbered it may either validate or annul other cards depending on its position.

Zero as complete potential

Zero is the pause in generation; like the cosmic egg.

3. The Fool goes forward

In most depictions of the Fool, although there are exceptions, the Fool is moving forwards. This particular aspect of the Fool is emphasised in these particular decks for one possible reason. The Fool represents action, movement, going forward and, based on the images, in one definite direction. The overcoming of fears, taking risks and confronting the unknown are all traits that are portrayed in the Fool. Inexperience doesn’t hold the Fool back; innocence is what allows the Fool to move forward.

In some images of the Fool, the image of the cliff, the dog warning him of the danger ahead, is a classic portrayal of this card. Does this indicate a pure fool heading toward his doom, or the leap of faith and the purity of heart needed?

“Pure Folly leads to initiation” Aleister Crowley.

4. The Fool as innocence

There are many myths that are connected to the Fool. Most, such as Percivale, who wins the Holy Grail through his innocence and lack of experience; or Hoor-Pa-Kraat, the Egyptian lord of silence, who tread upon the crocodile god Sebek, the Devourer, indicate a quality to the Fool card that is difficult to understand. In the most abstract sense, if the Fool was to ever have a single thought in his head, he would no longer be innocent, rather he would be experienced. Thoughts destroy innocence. The connection that the madman, the simpleton and the Fool have to divinity is in their innocence; their lack of rational thoughts – their lack of politics and their ‘empty headedness’. It is their innocence which makes them appear, to rational human beings, as Foolish.

Conclusion

The Fool has always held a strange and slightly sinister attraction for me. It seems to serve no rational purpose, but I guess that’s the point. It is the irrationality of the Fool, the very concept of the Fool which seems to produce an uneasy feeling in me. In the Lovecraftian Mythos, there is, at the centre of creation, a blind idiot god from whom all is being created, yet this god is not recognised because another, more devious god is claiming the glory. As people, we never share the limelight with an idiot, a pure fool who does not understand the real value of success, power and influence; we compete and fight to take it for ourselves because, as people with experience, we rationalise that someone like that wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway.

The Fool can easily trick our minds; he is a prankster without plan or concern for consequence; his impulses can trap us and signal our ruin. The Fool isn’t even all that likeable.

The Fool is also, evidently, an aspect of Pan; but this idea is shewn in his fullest development by Atu XV (The Devil)…
Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley

How do you feel about the Fool? What does the Fool card mean to you? Let me know if you agree, disagree or if you feel I’ve missed out something important within this post.

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The suit of Disks relates to money, goods and services, the organisation of work and business as well as status, possessions and property.

Ace of Disks

This is a very positive card that predicts that money is coming to the client. This may be as a work related bonus, a windfall, or a new career opportunity. It can also indicate that the client receives this news via a letter.

Two of Disks

The client will be juggling many different aspects of their lives; work, the family, their finances or other such commitments. More importantly, I have noticed that this card indicates that the client’s time will be taken up by all these different commitments.

Interestingly, I have actually read, and more surprisingly (I was surprised because I didn’t really associate this card with this particular type of event) found that this definition is usually very accurate; that the client will experience a division of resources. This usually occurs when a couple breaks up or a business partnership breaks up and the resources are divided between them.

Three of Disks

This card indicates the client will find new employment or have a lot of work to do. A property relocation can be indicated. Finally, the client will be seen to be doing ‘good work’ and their reputation for quality will improve.

Four of Disks

Short term outlook for financial security will not change much but this card really is about time; the long term future therefore indicates great financial security. Greed is a traditional association with this card and excessive concern for security. In terms of exams or other such activities then success is indicated, but the degree of that success will take time. For example, a client will pass their exams (but only just), however, the long terms prospects are very good and financial security will be the main indication of success.

Five of Disks

Financial loss. This card also has an emotional quality to it which would probably be experienced by the client as loneliness and isolation. Sometimes desire is indicated with this card and the lack of opportunity to satisfy that desire.

Six of Disks

This card can often appear when the client is in debt. It can indicate that money is going to be shared out; however, the nature of how this would occur would really require other cards to assist in building an accurate picture.

Seven of Disks

This card is all about time! Success is indicated, but it takes time and hard work. The result of this persistence is usually an increase in the client’s finances.

Eight of Disks

The outcome is usually successful when this card appears. This card indicates the learning of a new skill, a promotion at work, recognition for the quality of work the client is producing, and also the hard work and length of time that might be involved in reaching that successful outcome.

Nine of Disks

A great card if the client is looking for money. This usually indicates a gain in finances, and attention being turned towards the client’s home or property.

Ten of Disks

Like most tens, this card has ‘family’ associated connections attached to it. This card is a great card if the client is looking to create a business that will stand the test of time; it also indicates happiness.

Court Cards

Page of Disks

This card indicates messages concerning money, and promotions at work. If this card is representing an actual person then it’s possible they are a student, or somebody who is engaged in practical learning.

Knight of Disks

A man with a good career ahead of him. This card can also indicate a man bringing news about money and so on.

Queen of Disks

A money-minded woman who makes cautious and sensible business or financial decisions. A good card to get if the client is looking towards building up their own business.

King of Disks

A reliable man who is cautious and conservative. This man will put family first, most of the time (although well meaning, this man can be single minded with his career).

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The suit of Swords is associated with problems. Perhaps there is some kind of action that can be taken to resolve these problems?

Ace of Swords

Think of the Ace of Swords like a music player. When this card is upright the sound is amplified, and when this card is reversed the sound is barely audible. Think of it this way: upright the Ace of Swords gives every card in the reading extra significance; the other cards are very loud, perhaps even distractingly so for the client. When reversed, the influence of this card is barley felt by the client.

The Ace of Swords in general, indicates a sense of power or strength. In events it can indicate right timing, and in matters of health it can indicate surgery; ‘going under the knife’.

Two of Swords

Tension! I once read an excellent description of this card which indicated the kind of tension that is usually felt after an argument. Things have seemingly moved forward but still a tension remains. This card also indicates a dilemma, settlement or agreement.

Three of Swords

Stress, sadness, separation and loss.

Four of Swords

Taking time off work and recharging the batteries (usually associated with illness). However, this card can apply to other situations such as the client taking time off work as a result of enduring months of bullying.

Five of Swords

Defeat; or an empty victory. I usually see this card in relationship readings. It normally indicates one of two things: the person has been betrayed and this card indicates both the betrayal and feelings of anger or, this person ‘wins’ the affections of the desired person but ends up asking themselves, “was it worth it”?

Six of Swords

Going on a trip, literally. Also indicates that things are going to get better, usually because there is a movement away from a difficult or emotionally challenging situation; can also indicate solving problems.

Seven of Swords

Theft, deception and lies. In relationships this card indicates evasive behaviour.

Eight of Swords

Limited options within the client’s life. Also indicates communication difficulties and misunderstandings. As with most Sword cards there is a feeling of helplessness.

Nine of Swords

I have found this card to indicate a renewed connection to divinity. Also, there is usually a strong sense of the client worrying about other people when this card appears, along with sleepless nights, stress and despair.

Ten of Swords

The key concept behind this card is endings. If it’s a relationship reading then a relationship is ending. In fact, for any area of life this card indicates an end, usually an undesired ending of what they want most.

Court Cards

Page of Swords

Not a likeable person under most circumstances. When we view this card as being something other than an individual person, gossip being spread about the client, feelings of being unfairly criticised, and finally, communication which is usually upsetting.

Knight of Swords

This card often indicates swift changes happening within the client’s life; new people, new opportunities. It can also indicate a person that is assertive and a good problem solver. Occasionally (very occasionally) this character provides excellent professional advice to the client.

Queen of Swords

A strong willed woman who is independent and very intelligent. Traditionally this card has been seen to indicate a widow.

King of Swords

A cold yet rational person that would probably have a position of authority or responsibility.

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The suit of Cups is associated with emotional matters, educational matters and the appreciation of beauty.

Ace of Cups

Primordial Water; love, celebrations, a proposal of marriage; I can also see this card as Psychism;

This card can indicate falling completely in love with somebody else; with or without those feeling being reciprocated. Perhaps a need for realism is asked for?

Two of Cups

Meeting a new lover, friendships, partnerships; support and affection.

I’ve often noted that in Tarot readings it indicates a meeting up of two people, perhaps over coffee. As is common, one person tends to like the other more. Caution should be applied when interpreting this card. As a contrast, I have actually seen people falling in love with the 5 of Swords, 9 of Swords and Death card present.

Three of Cups

A celebration, a wedding.

Four of Cups

Boredom and frustration, but not in the classical sense of the word, rather it indicates the person who has happiness but seeks more;

“…the jewels cease to sparkle, the gold looses its lustre and the throne room becomes a prison” (Conan).

Five of Cups

Loss; feeling let-down or betrayed; help is available.

Six of Cups

Pleasure, memories.

In general, this card will come up just before a family gathering or a reunion of old friends where people reminisce and laugh about old times.

Seven of Cups

Far too many options, a daydream. Addiction.

Eight of Cups

A fair haired woman may change the client’s life for the better soon.

This card usually indicates that better times will soon be on there way. However, for the moment, things are miserable.

Nine of Cups

Marriage; feeling happy; the ‘wish’ card

Ten of Cups

Family happiness.

Court Cards

Princess or Page of Cups

Exams, study and research; a lazy, gentle youngster who might be artistic or psychic.

Prince or Knight of Cups

Good communicator; good company; selfish, unreliable; indicates a lover is approaching or leaving

Queen of Cups

Could indicate a good friend. It’s a good indication in questions concerning love.

Knight or King of Cups

Warm hearted, cares deeply for those closest to him.

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The suit of Wands is associated with daily life.

Ace of Wands

Primordial Fire, birth, a fresh start, significant news.

The key to understanding this card is to know that something is changing; more than that, something new is about to happen.

It’s important to look at the other cards to determine in what manner these changes take place and when. This is true of any Tarot card though.

Two of Wands

Beware of a proud man; partnerships could improve; success with renovation projects.

When this card comes up, expect an element of competition; factor others into the equation.

Three of Wands

Relationships look good; travel in connection with work; a fresh start; new job.

This is a great card and even when it doesn’t appear to get on well with the other cards in a reading; at most it indicates delays and frustrations. It can’t be stopped.

Four of Wands

Can indicate either a business related or romantic related meaning. A great card that focuses on issues of security. At worst, there may be delays before things come good.

Five of Wands

Challenges, delayed travel plans.

Six of Wands

Success, victory, legal issues will go your way.

Seven of Wands

Opposition from others, don’t give up. Can also indicate minor things going wrong on a day to day basis that seems to take way more energy than it should to resolve.

Eight of Wands

Travel, ‘arrows of love’, communication and things changing rapidly.

Nine of Wands

A defensive approach is needed. This card can also indicate that the person’s sense of security may be threatened.

Ten of Wands

Burdens and responsibilities.

Court Cards

I actually view the Court cards as separate from the Pip cards, in terms of function, but I thought it would be easier to categorise them together.

Page of Wands

Communication, restless youngster, easily distracted, travel. Good news will be on its way. Perhaps this person writes for a living.

Knight of Wands

Travel, somebody enters the client’s life suddenly. A home move.

Queen of Wands

Good at business, a good talker, good company. Indicates luck, usually in business.

King of Wands

Confirmation that things will go well.

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I thought it would be a great idea to create a Tarot Keyword Library. This would be a place where people could add their own thoughts, impressions and ideas on what each of the 78 cards mean; an exchange centre, a rotating lexicon of keywords. I’ll start by adding a brief outline of how I see the Tarot, followed by five separate posts on the keywords themselves; you can add your own suggestions in the comments section below. This will be a great resource for checking out some divinatory meanings or, DMs for the Tarot.

The Pips or Minor cards

The Pip cards, as a rule, refer to what is actually happening within the life of the client. They refer to actual, objective, day-to-day events. They refer to an objective reality that is outside, for the most part, the direct control of the client. This is technically a false statement as the Pips can be changed through the individuals own efforts and free-will (to what extent is debatable) but how many people use their free-will? Of course people will tell you that they do, but do they? The exceptions use free-will, not the rule.

The Pips do not focus on, as their primary meaning, a subjective inner-world day dream. When reading Pip cards, start off asking your self:

1. What is the objective reality
2. What is not under the direct control of the client
3. What is shaping the clients subjective reality

Once those questions have been asked, allow the Aces, Courts and Trumps to enrich your understanding of the client’s life. Use the information to find out how much:

1. Free-will is possible
2. What the dreams and aspirations of the client are
3. The possibility for a good outcome (as far as the client is concerned)
4. What the client Does Not Know

The Pip cards are an excellent way of indicating things that the client does not know; is unaware of; is too uncertain to be sure.

Are there different systems or formulas used to allocate divinatory meanings to the Pips? The answer is yes.

One system states that the Pips derive their meaning from their number and suit. Another, which is from the Golden Dawn, states that the Pips derive their meaning from number, suit, Planet and Zodiacal signs.

The Pips are divided into the four Elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth.

The Fire cards are active

• Concerned with day to day events
• Negotiating with others
• Are optimistic
• Exhaustion
• Burn out
• Burning the candle at both ends

The Water cards are passive

• Concerned with emotions
• Study
• Art
• Relationships

The Air cards are active

They suggest the need to act to overcome problems.

• Sickness
• Surgery
• Dentist
• Arguments
• Moving away from troubles

The Disk cards are passive

• Concerned with money
• Goods
• The organization of business
• They refer to the clients property and land

The Twenty-Two Trumps

Do the picture cards hold a special place within your deck?

Yes, they do, but not for the reasons we all assume.

At first glance, they don’t seem to represent anything concrete, just a strangely incomprehensible philosophical position on some particular aspect of human experience.

When I first started reading Tarot, this first impression was immediately crushed by all the authoritative works I read. They told me that the Trumps were the most important. They explained a hierarchical division between the Majors, Courts and the Minors (very occult terminology). This didn’t make sense to me. After all, the Pips depict what’s happening on a practical ‘real-world’ level, not the Trumps. It is perfectly understandable however, given the historical context of the Tarot and the past times of the upper classes.

The way I resolved this, in my mind, was to liken it to the way mythology is presented. Usually all the gods/goddesses are represented by one animal or another. Peculiar don’t you think? Animals? Animals just act on their base desires. How could gods be represented in this way?

The answer is similar to the difference between the Trumps and the Pip cards of the Tarot. The Pips are right here with us, side-by-side. The Trumps aren’t. They live in some transcendental, almost god-like location. Their influence on the day to day events of life here on Earth is non-existent until they adopt their animal form, their ‘Minor’ form.

One final analogy, different and not necessarily compatible with the first, much like the historical relationship between the upper and lower classes: they ignored them at every opportunity but trumped them at every turn.

In terms of fortune telling, it’s important to understand these cards; to understand their contradictions, and secondly their interactions with the Courts and Pips. The way I see things, on a spiritual level at least, hierarchy is wrong. It breeds jealousy and is, in my view, simply the product of politics and has nothing to do with Nature.

The idea that the Trumps are at the top and the Pips are at the bottom is damaging to our spiritual development. It’s the same as denying the needs of the body in favour of some higher principal (that usually has no reality or value, other than what that individual, or society gives it). I see one big circle of interactions between the Trumps, Courts and Pips, with no one particular grouping having any more value than the other.

The Four Aces

The Aces are the Tarot!

Certainly, this is the view expressed by a system put in place by the Golden Dawn. If we take this system as a starting point then it’s best to start off thinking about the Aces as a concept. The concept is this: all the Minor and Court cards reside within the Aces. The Aces are not the Minors or the Courts of their respective suits, but rather the potential for those Minors and Courts to be created. In this way the Aces, on a very primordial level, represent the potential for anything to happen.

Going further with this concept, we can state that the Ace of Wands has all the other cards within in. The Ace of Wands, the Fire of creation, is the Tarot.

When reading Tarot cards, view the Aces as:

1. Potential
2. The suit
3. The suit of the Ace will indicate what potentially might happen within the Client’s life
4. Overall an Ace doesn’t represent anything as such; simply the potential for something to happen, a possibility

The Courts

The Court Cards are ways of representing abstract ideas on how the Universe was created and how it sustains itself. The King and Queen represent the Active and Passive principle. When they join in Union (a union being any two things that produce a third thing completely different from the original two) they can go one of two ways. They can transcend this state or move forward into Matter.

The product of this Union was twins; The Knight (Prince) and the Page (Princess); or daughter if you apply the Formula of Tetragrammaton, which in many ways this is. The Prince then marries the Princess; kills the old King and is subsequently appointed the new King. The Princess becomes the Queen and the new King and Queen then join in Union, produce twins and the cycle repeats itself.

This cyclic process represents, on a very abstract level, how the Universe sustains itself. Consider the Two of Disks as a good example of: the more things change the more they stay the same.

The Formula of Tetragrammaton would be a good thing to look into if this interests you. Check out the Book of Thoth and The Golden Bough.

One final point I would like to make: in this system, the King, Queen, Prince and Princess represent the Elements, Fire, Water, Air and Earth. In the Golden Dawn System, the Court cards consist of sub elements. In many ways, this system makes it easier to develop a personality profile for each Court card, should you wish to do so.

In fact, it might make an interesting project to try using the sub elements and astrological associations to develop your very own Court card personalities.

Conclusion

Remember, Tarot cards, in the sense of using them to divine the future, are simple. The books make learning these cards complex, but there is nothing complex about a Tarot card. The study of keywords and symbols, as a method of learning how to predict the future is unnecessarily complex. It won’t work; it won’t work because Tarot cards are simple.

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